March 2013: this pattern is now also available in the Rime’s the Reason Collection--along with 7 other designs. The eBook edition includes:

expanded plus sizing

directions to lengthen sleeves

yarn estimates for contrasting colors

thoughts on conversion to a pullover

Note: there are errarta at bottom of this page.

Farewell, heat, and welcome frost! --The Merchant of Venice

I really hate being cold. I dread the coldest days of winter when my teeth chatter like castanets indoors, even when the furnace is blasting its pitiful best. This year, though, I’m going to be toasty warm wearing this incredible jacket.

Made in worsted-weight wool, the base jacket is worked in one piece in a way that allows the unique cabling to proceed without interruption around the arms. The jacket avoids being too boxy by using tapered Wood Grain panels to join the front and back. These panels appeal to the sewing phobic since they allow most of the assembly of the basic jacket to be done on knitting needles and not with the sewing needle.

While the body of the jacket is both eye-catching and unusually constructed, its true distinguishing feature is that every opening is weather proofed. There is a close fitting, lined hood. The gapless front opening is achieved with a zipper which is then camouflaged by a wide button placket. The cuffs extend to become fingerless mitts or can be worn retracted providing a barrier to cold air that might otherwise sneak up the arm. Finally, a narrow band of ribbing sewn into the interior of the jacket around the waist provides a simple yet effective draft excluder while providing a bit of gentle shaping to the waist.

Other unique features of the design include a grommet style button hole developed for this design and a grafting cheat sheet which makes the grafting of the cabled fabric of the hood a bit of a challenge.

All these features combine to create the perfect jacket for indoor use in the winter or outdoor use on a crisp fall day. So, why would this jacket be a good addition to a cold-weather wardrobe? Rime’s the Reason.

Rime (noun): frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water vapor.

Errata

FRONT PANEL (revised 12/29/12)Row 1(RS): Slk, work Row 21 of Rime Cable to first marker, LLI; place next 30 sts on a strand of waste yarn, place the foll 25 sts on a separate strand of waste yarn. Turn. 26 sts rem on needle

Row 2(WS): Slp, work Row 22 of Rime Cable to last st, p1.

Work 38 more rows in established pattern, ending after Row 20 of Rime Cables.

Break yarn leaving an 24-inch tail. Using Queenie’s Kitchener Cheat sheet graft rem sts to 25 held sts on the opposite side of hood.

CROWN (revised 12/29/12)There are 2 errors on the chart. The first is that row 21 is short a purl at stitch 7 and stitch 24. Second, only half a roound is worked for round 21, so these sts should not be included in the pattern repeat.

In the written directions for the crown: Round 21: P7, 2/2/2 RPC, p7 1 time. Graft final 20 sts to first 20 sts using Queenie’s Kitchener Cheat Sheet.